Jimmy Kimmel discusses The Giving Tree with his pre-K book club

(Image credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live)

published 12 February 2015

To further child literacy (and grown-up entertainment), Jimmy Kimmel holds a children's book club with his nephew and a few other young children. The book this week was The Giving Tree, by "the scariest man in the world" (as Kimmel tells the kids), Shel Silverstein. After reading the children's classic on Wednesday night's show, Kimmel opened discussion.

Kimmel doesn't seem to be a fan of the admittedly befuddling story. The human character "seemed kind of selfish to me," he said. "He was nice when he was young, but then he just started taking and taking and taking and taking, until he essentially killed his best friend." Two of the kids take the boy's side, but by the end, Kimmel's dour thoughts on the book have even the sympathetic kids pulling strange (albeit adorable) faces — it's not clear if they're reacting to Kimmel or the book. Cute either way. Watch —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.